Clemson senior Gaines Adams is the new No. 1 defensive end in the power rankings, which measure the nation's best players and coaches at each position.

Adams set a school record Saturday by recording a sack in his sixth consecutive game during the Tigers' 31-7 victory over Georgia Tech. Adams leads the Atlantic Coast Conference with 8½ sacks and ranks second in the league with 11½ tackles for loss.

He has 24 sacks in his college career, which puts him four away from Michael Dean Perry's school record. Adams' big performance against Georgia Tech helped him leapfrog LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey in the power rankings.

Peterson remains atop the power rankings despite breaking his collarbone two weeks ago because of the possibility that he could return in time for a bowl game. Players who suffer season-ending injuries are automatically removed from consideration.

The rating of a player and coach can fluctuate each week depending on how they fared the previous Saturday, but the power rankings measure their overall careers as well as their most recent performances.

For example, Georgia Tech's Johnson was held without a catch for the first time in his college career last week. Johnson now has a down arrow next to his name because of that performance, but he remains atop our rankings because we still believe he's the top receiver in the nation.

By the end of the season, our power ratings should provide an accurate indicator of which players and coaches were the best at their respective positions.